The Atlanta Dream looked on the verge of completing one of their most impressive comebacks of the young season Sunday before Chelsea Gray delivered a heartbreaking final blow for the Las Vegas Aces.
Down by as many as 19 points against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, the Dream fought all the way back and briefly grabbed their first lead of the game in the final minute. But in the closing seconds, veteran guard Chelsea Gray delivered once again.
Gray knocked down a stepback jumper with 3.6 seconds
remaining to lift the Aces to an 85-84 victory, spoiling Atlanta’s home opener in front of a sellout crowd of more than 17,000 fans.
The dramatic finish capped an emotional afternoon in which the Dream appeared dead in the water before staging an impressive rally. The noise inside State Farm Arena reached another level midway through the fourth quarter when second-year guard Te-Hina Paopao drilled a second-chance corner three with 2:16 remaining. The shot cut Las Vegas’ lead to 81-80 and sent fans to their feet as the building approached deafening levels.
Moments later, Atlanta finally broke through. Dream guard Jordin Canada tracked down a loose ball that bounced off the foot of Aces superstar A’ja Wilson and pushed the other way for a layup that gave Atlanta an 84-83 lead — its first advantage of the game.
That setup only increased the drama for Gray’s final shot.
The veteran Aces guard created separation against her defender and calmly sank the go-ahead jumper with just seconds remaining. Atlanta still had one last opportunity, but Las Vegas disrupted the Dream’s final possession, knocking the ball away from Allisha Gray as she attacked the basket.
Chelsea Gray led the Aces with 21 points, while Wilson added 20 as Las Vegas improved to 3-1 on the season.
For Atlanta, Allisha Gray turned in another standout performance with 25 points and nine rebounds. Paopao, who started in place of Rhyne Howard as Howard remained in concussion protocol, scored 19 points and delivered several key baskets during the comeback attempt. Rookie Madina Okot recorded her first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Angel Reese contributed nine points and eight boards.
The Dream’s push gained momentum late in the third quarter thanks to rookie Indya Nivar, whose defensive energy helped ignite a 9-1 run. Nivar disrupted passing lanes, pressured ball handlers and sparked transition opportunities that helped cut Atlanta’s deficit.
Atlanta ultimately fell short, but the effort revealed a team unwilling to fold. Even in defeat, the Dream showed the kind of fight that could define their season moving
